HIV/AIDS in the transport sector of southern Africa: Operational challenges,research gaps and policy recommendations

The transport sector is an integral element of southern Africa's economic development. The impact of HIV/AIDS on the region is therefore a major cause for concern. Using a method of triangulation, we used the findings of a comprehensive literature review, a stakeholder questionnaire and a United Nations regional workshop to take stock of the existing evidence linking HIV/AIDS to the transport sector. This paper outlines the strategies used to address HIV/AIDS by a range of stakeholders in the road, maritime, aviation and railway transport sectors. It highlights regional, national, and intervention-specific good practice examples in the field, suggesting key research gaps and putting forward policy recommendations for the region. As a result, national action plans will hopefully be able to benefit from this knowledge-sharing, enhanced regional cooperation and implementation of more effective responses to the epidemic in this critical sector.     

中美反家庭暴力法制相关问题比较分析

家庭暴力是我国社会一个普遍而严重的问题,其严重侵害了家庭成员、尤其是妇女的合法权益,我国目前缺乏统一的反家庭暴力的专门法律,涉及家庭暴力问题的法律规范散见于多部单行法律中.虽然已经有多个专门反家庭暴力的地方性法规,但是单行法和地方性法规对预防家庭暴力发生均缺乏效用.在美国法上,以1976年宾夕法尼亚州免于虐待之保护法案为肇端,至1989年所有州都通过引入民事保护令(civil protection order)制度以保护家庭暴力中的受虐妇女.文章通过比较中美反家庭暴力法制相关问题,分析了我国法的不足和缺陷,为建立统一的反家庭暴力法提出了立法建议.     

Poverty,HIV/AIDS and the old age pension in Bhambayi,Kwazulu-Natal,South Africa

To date the international community has tended to direct HIV prevention programmes, treatment, care and supportive services to young adults and children, with little concern about the impact on older people. Since empirical evidence on the socioeconomic impact of HIV/AIDS on households with older persons is lacking, this paper attempts to fill this gap, using data from a household-based survey conducted in Bhambayi, a mixed formal and informal settlement north of eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal. The findings highlight the links between the uptake of the South African old age pension, poverty and HIV/AIDS in households with older persons. The paper makes recommendations for both government and non-governmental organisations in respect of community-based support systems for such households affected by HIV/AIDS.     

Child-headed households in South Africa: What we know and what we don't

Household structures in many countries in Africa have been drastically changed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Traditionally, orphans were absorbed by members of the extended family but today this safety net no longer works so well and many children are left to fend for themselves. The South African Government recognises the problem, but views differ on the effectiveness of the programmes for assisting these children. This article looks at what is known and what needs further research. It is known that child-headed households do exist in South Africa and that children living in these households are vulnerable. What is not known is the prevalence of these households and how to deal with the children's psycho-social problems. The article argues that the definition of child-headed households needs to be refined if we are to understand the extent of the problem. This will facilitate assessment of the programmes established for these children.     

艾滋病对我国社会经济影响

基于对我国艾滋病流行较为严重的五个省份进行的问卷调查,对比分析了931户感染者家庭和995户非感染者家庭的相关数据。研究发现,艾滋病对感染者个人及其家庭造成了极大的影响,如导致家庭结构改变、就业机会减少、劳动收入下降、医疗支出明显增大;同时也引发一系列社会经济问题,如贫富差距加大、性别不平等加剧、贫困家庭儿童教育机会减少及社会歧视扩大。最后提出了缓解艾滋病造成影响的对策建议。     

Financial development,institutions and industrialization in sub-Saharan Africa

Using a panel data covering more than 100 countries worldwide, we have estimated a dynamic panel model to investigate the relationship between financial development and manufacturing industries’ growth. More specifically, we have estimated the effect that institutional quality might have in this relationship in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The results show that lower quality institutions in SSA are a hindrance to the role financial development plays in the growth of the manufacturing industrial sector, as compared with developed countries. These findings are robust when a quantile regression model is used. Furthermore, the results confirm that the relationship between per capita GDP and industrialization is nonlinear. Finally, in SSA, the abundance of natural resources has an adverse effect on the manufacturing industrial value added, providing more evidence for the Dutch disease hypothesis.     

Information sharing offices and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa

Although credit availability is essential for economic growth, the information asymmetry problem inhibits the credit creation function of financial institutions. Among other means, information-sharing offices (ISOs) have been established, including private credit bureaus and public credit registries to provide information on the financial characteristics of citizens to reduce information asymmetry. From this background, this study used an explanatory research design with a longitudinal (panel) data approach to assess whether the coverage of information by ISOs affects sectorial and overall economic growth among sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries using the system generalized method of moments technique on data from 2005 to 2019. The results highlight that information coverage by ISOs enhances sectorial and overall economic growth by solving the information asymmetry problem. From the findings, governments in SSA countries are encouraged to support public credit registries to effectively perform their mandate while providing incentives to attract investments in private credit bureaus since they contribute to economic growth.     

校企合作战略联盟伙伴选择与合作意愿关系研究

基于珠三角地区制造类企业、服务类企业共257份问卷调查数据,对联盟伙伴个体因素、关系因素、合作后效应因素与联盟合作意愿的关系进行实证分析。研究结果表明：联盟伙伴个体因素、关系因素对联盟合作意愿具有显著的正向影响;联盟合作后效应因素对联盟合作意愿不具有显著的负向影响,但却具有显著的正向影响。依据分析结果,提出企业在选择高校作为联盟伙伴时要高度关注合作治理机制、平等关系、高校社会服务能力等因素的影响。     

Relational patterns of urbanisation and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa

Scholars of economic development have always hinted that the urbanisation process in the developing world does not follow the historical patterns discerned in the developed world where a strong relationship between a country's gross domestic product and urbanisation had been observed. To confirm or refute this thesis, this study considers the pattern of relationships between the national economic growth rate and urbanisation rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. Comparison is made between SSA countries and emerging and developed economies. Results indicate that whereas the traditional thesis still holds for SSA countries (i.e. they urbanise without economic growth), new antithetical trends are also discernible where urbanisation takes place with economic growth, thereby revealing a whole new dimension of urbanisation and economic growth relational patterns in Africa.     

Describing and decomposing post-apartheid income inequality in South Africa

This paper describes the changes in inequality in South Africa over the post-apartheid period, using income data from 1993 and 2008. Having shown that the data are comparable over time, it then profiles aggregate changes in income inequality, showing that inequality has increased over the post-apartheid period because an increased share of income has gone to the top decile. Social grants have become much more important as sources of income in the lower deciles. However, income source decomposition shows that the labour market has been and remains the main driver of aggregate inequality. Inequality within each racial group has increased and both standard and new methodologies show that the contribution of between-race inequality has decreased. Both aggregate and within-group inequality are responding to rising unemployment and rising earnings inequality. Those who have neither access to social grants nor the education levels necessary to integrate successfully into a harsh labour market are especially vulnerable.     

The South African disability grant: Influence on HIV treatment outcomes and household well-being in KwaZulu-Natal

This paper explores the implications of the disability grant for household members' well-being and adults' success on ART (antiretroviral therapy). It uses case studies based on data from an in-depth qualitative study of 10 households in KwaZulu-Natal. Receipt of the disability grant ensured that the basic needs of the HIV-infected adult could be met by other household members, especially when the grant was received when the person first met the qualifying criteria and in conjunction with ART. Where treatment was effective, HIV-infected adults were able to make substantial contributions to the well-being of other members in addition to the financial support provided by the grant itself. Thus, early access to financial support in conjunction with commencing ART may lead to improved health outcomes and reduce poverty and vulnerability associated with illness in poor households. This synergistic relationship between social welfare and treatment may in turn contribute to greater cost-efficiency.     

Dynamics of maternal union dissolution and childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT

The family setting has implications for child survival. In this study, the dynamics of maternal union dissolution and childhood mortality were investigated in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Birth history data of 235 454 children from the most recent Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 23 SSA countries were analysed using life table techniques and piecewise exponential hazards models. The results revealed that the childhood mortality rates were 35 vs 32 per 1000 live births (one month), 61 vs 54 per 1000 (11 months) and 95 vs 86 per 1000 (48 months) for children of women in marital dissolution compared with those with intact marriages. Despite controlling for background variables, the risk of under-five mortality was significantly higher among children of women in marital dissolution (relative risk?=?1.35, confidence interval: 1.30–1.40). The effect of dissolution on childhood mortality has not changed since the 1990s. Marital stability is an important social structure for child survival.     

我国球场暴力的现状及其成因研究

研究发现,我国球场安检与管理存在很多问题,球迷乱扔杂物现象严重,足球从业人员暴力行为不断增多.中国球场暴力出现的主要原因是裁判的执法水平和职业道德水平不高,球迷观众的心理倾向性受挫,球员自身的文化素养较低,赛场存在管理等方面的问题.应通过建立严密科学的球场管理体系,提高打击力度、球员的文化素养、思想道德素质和裁判的执法水平、职业道德水平等有效措施来减少或消除球场暴力.     

工作场所暴力问题的产生及预防

对工作场所暴力的探究及预防是一项新的研究领域,国外在这方面的研究开展得较早,近年来也获得了广泛的成果。文章从对工作场所暴力研究的提出、范围界定、多角度分类以及发生工作场所暴力事件的原因等方面对已有研究进行了综述,同时,总结各专业机构及企业组织提出的多种预防措